Nikon Adds a New (and Expensive) Mirrorless Camera to Their 1 Series

Just an hour ago, Nikon announced their latest addition to their 1 line, and they claim it to have the world’s “fastest continuous shooting rate with AF tracking, [and] performance with tracking of moving subjects that exceeds that of digital SLR cameras”. It’s called the Nikon 1 V3, and its the first Nikon 1 camera that comes with a vari-angle touch screen LCD monitor and Wi-Fi capability.

As many of you may be aware of, mirrorless cameras are coming out with sales numbers as promising as American politicians. And while the future may still be subject to change, Nikon’s price tag of $1200 for this camera may prove a bit challenging for the modern consumer to buy. The camera itself looks incredible for a mirrorless, but it’ll be interesting to see how sales play out for it either way with that price.

Nikon also release two videos about the new camera: a sample video file which looks promising and a product tour:

Nikon also announced the 1 NIKKOR VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 PD-ZOOM lens, which they claim is the world’s lightest interchangeable lens equipped with a power-drive zoom function. Below are the specs for the lens straight from Nikon:

A slim 3x normal zoom lens compatible with the CX format and covering the 10-30mm range of focal lengths (angle of view equivalent to 27-81mm in 35-mm [135] format)

The world’s first*1 interchangeable lens equipped with power-drive zoom to utilize an electrically controlled lens cover, which eliminates the need to attach and remove a lens cap

Adoption of a retractable lens mechanism that retracts the lens when it is not in use has enabled a slimmer lens that is compact for storage

Equipped with a vibration reduction (VR) function that provides camera-shake compensation equal to a 4.0-stop*3 increase in shutter speed

A maximum reproduction ratio of 0.55 x (equivalent in 35 [135] format) and a minimum focus distance of 20 cm enable expression similar to that of a Micro lens for impressive close-ups and beautiful blur characteristics

Superior rendering performance with no noticeable ghost or flare, even with shooting in backlit situations

The same refined and minimalistic appearance as other 1 NIKKOR lenses; knurling adopted to make the most of the metal texture

There’s also some choice available in accessorizing the camera as well, with Nikon’s new external high resolution 2359k-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF), and a camera grip.

You can find out more information about the lens, along with the Nikon 1 V3 at their official announcement page at the bottom. The new products should be hitting stores next month, so until then, let us know what your thoughts are on Nikon’s latest offerings below!

For less than that price you can get a Canon 70D and shoot 1080HD video at 30fps, or any number of other cameras with better features. I think you might be pretty unhappy if you did get this camera (with 20fps!?!?!?) and find that info out!

pincherio

That’s 20fps for stills. The 70D shoots at around 6fps in comparison. The Nikon can shoot 1080/60p video too, compared to the 70D’s 1080/30p. Completely different animals though. Mirrorless users value the portability and pay a premium for that. The 70D body alone would weigh close to double of the Nikon 1 V3 camera and lens system.

John Aldred is a portrait and animal photographer in Lancaster, England. you can see some of his work on his website, or find him on Facebook or Twitter.

Stefan Kohler is a conceptual photographer, specialized in mixing science, technology and photography. He is one of the founders of Kamerakind, based in Traunstein, Southern Germany. You can follow him on Facebook or on 500px.com

Liron Samuels is a wildlife and commercial photographer based in Israel.

When he isn't waking up at 4am to take photos of nature, he stays awake until 4am taking photos of the night skies or time lapses.